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TWO DISCOURSES

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER

THE REV. ^VILLIAM M. PAXTON, D. D.

pastor of 1st yvcstintfiiaii (Ttjif.c!), }i3ittsl)Ui(j[j.

PkKACHKD and PUBLISUliD AT THK KEyUtST OF THli UOAill) OF TlU'STtES AND TUU
yiiSSlOX OF THE OUUKCH.

PlTTSBVnaiT:

Robert S. Davis, No. 93 "Wood Street,

18 6 1.

Press of W. G. Joh.\stox & Co.

FRANCIS HEREON:
33orn,

Ix Franklin County, Pennsylvania,
June 28, 1774.

At Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania,
May 5, 1794.

By the Presbytery of Carlisle, Penxsylvania,
October 4, 1797.

©rbaineb lo tijc illinistrg,

And Installed as Pastor op the Presbyterian CiuiRrn at Eocky

Srnixn, Franklin County, Pa.

April 9, 1800.

ttcmoucb to |)ittsbur£|I),

And Settled as Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church,
May, 1811.

^estgncb bis ^)astor!il <!i'bnrgr,

December, 18.50.

f ieb, f Etfmbcr 6, 1860.

DEATH AND PUNEML SERVICES.

Rev. Francis H e r r o n , D. D. ,

Deiiaited this life at his own residence in tlie City of Pitts-
burgh, on Thursday evening, the 6th of December, 1860, in the
Stth year of his age.

He had just returned from a visit to liis son-in-law (Mr
Hoge, ) to whose charming- residence on the banks of the
Hudson he was accustomed, in the last years of his life, to re-
sort during the heat of summer ; and where he seemed yearly
to renew his youth, and to return to his home with a freshness
and vigor that it was cheering to witness. During his last trip,
however, he gave evidence occasionally of abating strength,
and just before his return contracted a cold, which soon after
his arrival at home, settled with a deep and fatal hold upon
his vital powers, and, after an illness of three weeks, terminated
his life. During his illness he endured much bodily pain, and
although his consciousness was seldom distinct and perfect,
there was a patience in all his sufferings and a resignation to
the will of God that evinced the maturity of his piety, and his
meetness for the Kingdom of Glory.

In the intervals of his suffering, Avhen consciousness momen-
tarily returned, he would express his conviction that all was
well, and his desire "to depart and be with Jesus." From the
beginning of his illness it was perfectly manifest that he had

no desire to recover; yet be waited with entire patience for the
moment when it should please his Heavenly Father to end his
sufferings and receive his spirit. During the day that preced-
ed his death it pleased God to remove every pain, and he lay
with beautiful composure, unable to speak, but indicating by
expressive signs that his soul was in the enjoyment of perfect
peace. In this happy frame his spirit passed away so gently,
that it was difficult to tell the moment when "the silver cord
was loosed."

The Funeral.

The funerul took place on Saturday the 8th inst., from the
First Presbyterian Church. The bier was followed from his
late residence by his bereaved f\imily, accompanied by a large
number of ministers and the students of the Theological Semi-
nary in solemn procession. On reaching the Church the cofidn
was placed in the aisle in front of the pulpit, where his lifeless
body preached, with silent eloquence to a vast assembly, the
last and most touching sermon in a ministry of fifty years.
The remarkable assemblage of people that thronged that spa-
cious Church was an evidence of the high position wlrch he
held in the regard and confidence of the public, and of the
depth and extent to which the emotion of sorrow pervaded the
masses of ihe people. Citizens of every class and description
were present. The high and the low, the rich and the poor,
were there to loolc for the last time upon the face of a Father
whom they all loved. Christians of all sects, ministers of all

denoiniaations, came to moura for one who loved all who
"name the name of Jesus." The Courts adjourned their judi-
cial business, and merchants closed their st)res in token of
respect to an aged Patriarch, whose living presence they had
all revered.

The funeral services were conducted under the direction of
the venerable Dr. Elliott, Senior Professor in the Western
Theological Seminary, and the friend and companion of Dr.
Herron's early minhood. The service was opened with an im-
pressive funeral anthem by the choir. After the reading of
selected pissages of Scripture, and the singing of an appropri-
ate hymn, a prayer was offered by the Rev. Dr. Campbell who
had been a long tried and intimate friend of the deceased, and
a co-Uiborei in many of the important enterprises of his life.
The Rev. Ur. Swift then followed in an address of unusual
solemnity and impressiveness. His intimate relation to Dr.
Herron as a co-laborer in the same city; the long years of har-
monious fellowship which they had passed together; their joint
participation in the same trials and hopes, all combined to affect
the heart of ihe speaker so deeply, that as he stepped forward to
the coffin and looked down upon the face of his brother, the
tears gushed from his eyes and he poured forth a strain of elo-
quent lamentation that touched and melted every heart.

This was followed by an address from the Rsv. Richard Lea,
of Lawrenceville, who had been trained from his boyhood un-
der the care and direction of Dr Herron, and whose vivid reci-
tal of past incidents awakened in the minds of the sorrowing
congregation affecting reminiscences of the past.

The Rev. Dr. Bkati'ie, of Steubenville, also spoke of his early
acquaintance with Dr. Herron, of the high respect which his
character had always inspired, and of the loss which this Con-
gregation, the Seminary, the Charcli and the Country had sus-
tained in his death.

Dr. Elliott followed in a few concluding remarks, in which
he referred to their early friendship, to their intimate associa-
tion in labors for the Seminary, to the devoted piety, the
executive efficiency, unsuspected integrity and disinterested con-
secration which characterised his whole life.

After prayer and singing, an opportunity was given to all
who wished to come forward and look for the last time upon
the fiice of their beloved Pastor. It was a most affecting scene
to witness that large assembly coming forward in regular order,
each pausing an instant to look upon that much loved form,
and then passing out with a tearful eye and a throbbing heart.

After the services at the Church were ended, the funeral pro-
cession formed and carried the body to its resting place in
Allkgheny Cemetery. It was committed to the earth with
deep and solemn feeling, but in the assured hope of a glorious
resurrection. The whole service was concluded with Prayer
and the Apostolic Benediction by the Rev. Wm. B.M'Ilvaine, of
East Liberty.

The Sermons which follow were preached for the purpose of
recording the events of a life of more than usual historic im-
portance, and as a tribute of affection to one endeared by the
tenderest associations, and by memories of the fatherly kind-
ness with which he received and cherished, as a son, his suc-
cessor in the Pastorate.

FIRST DISCOURSE.

"illn fal\)cr, mn i^atl)cr, tl)c d)aviot of Jsracl,
nub tl)c Ijorscincn llKrcof."— 2 Kings, 2 :12

Never, perhaps, had the name Father
been uttered in deeper grief, or with warm-
er affection.

Elijah, the Prophet Father, and Elisha,
the Prophet Son, were bound together by
no ordinary ties of endearment. When it
became manifest to tlie old Prophet that
he must ere long retire from his sacred
office, and it was indicated as the will of
God that Elisha should fill his vacant place,
Elijah sought him, and, throwing his own
mantle upon him, indicated and installed
him as his successor. Accordingly, Elisha
bade farewell to the home of his youth,

and crossed the luouiitains of Gilead to
take part in the ministry of the old
Prophet, and to comfort and cheer him
with the ready offices of kindness and affec-
tion. From that time they lived and
labored together in the intimacy of a har-
monious fellowship and reciprocated attach-
ment. It was no ordinary friendship that
bound them to each other. Tliey had one
interest, one aim, one motive, one sphere
of blessed, hol}^, consecrated action ; but
deeper than this was the affinity of conge-
nial temperament, the unity of kindred sym-
pathies, the harmony of feelings strung to
the same key; and deeper still, the affiance
of grace, the common experience of the love
of God, antl the endearing intimacy of
spiritual fellowship and communion which
bound them together, heart and soul— -wed-
ding age and youth with a bond of perfect-
ness.

The life of Elijah was spared longer than
he seemed at first to anticipate. It was
doubtless so ordered in mercy to Eiisha.
He needed the experience of age to di'
rect him, and the wisdom and instructions
of the old Prophet to prepare and mature
him for his future responsibilities. For a
period of about ten years this happy associ-
ation and co-operation in the work of God
continued; but now at last the time arrived
when they must part, Elijah to ascend into
glory, and Eiisha to bear the responsibilities
of the sacred office alone.

When it became known in the school of
the Prophets at Jericho, that Elijah was
about to finish his eartlily course, it
awakened such a painful interest among
the young men in training there for the
work of God, that a band of fifty followed
after the two Prophets, as they took their

course toward the Jordan, and ascending
an eminence that overlooked the Valley,
witnessed the sublime scene that followed.
The Jordan parts before the stroke of
Elijah's mantle, and now they stand upon
the opposite shore — the Prophet Father
and the Prophet Son in their last act of
earthly communion, Elijah with an over-
ilowing heart, tells Elisha to present now
liis last request: "Ask what I shall do for
thee before I am taken away from thee."
Elisha had no difficulty in fixing upon his
request. One great thought now filled his
mind — anxiety about the cause of God after
Elijah was gone. Hence he instantly re-
plies : "I pray thee let a double portion of
thy spirit be upon me." But whilst they
were talking, "behold there appeared a
chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted
them both asunder, and Elijah went up by
a whirlwind into heaven,"

And now, Elisha stands alone. Oh, who
can tell the solitary desolation of his spirit
at that moment ? The Friend, the Father,
the Counsellor to whom he had always
looked, is gone. He had never before been
left to himself. Elijah had always been at
his side. Did he need direction? Elijah
was there. Had he a sorrow ? Elijah's
heart was full of sympathy. Had he a joy?
it was repeated in the joy of Elijah. But
now, alas ! he is alone, without his helper;
solitary, without his comforter. With
streaming eyes he follows the receding
chariot, till his grief bursting into language
he exclaims : "J/^ Father, My Father, the
chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof P^
It was the expression of his own j^ersonal
grief. It was the deep outgushing of a
stricken heart- the sorrow of one who
felt that his earthly comforts, stays and
supports had all been severed in one sad

blow. " The mantle of the ascending
Prophet, loosed by an mvisible hand, had
fallen from his shoulders, and it floated
down before him heavy laden with an of-
ficial appointment, cast to him as it were
out of the open heavens." He felt, there-
fore, that he was not only alone, but alone
under the weight of accumulated responsi-
bilities. He was now to carry on the work
of Grod single handed, to bear the burden
of the sacred office without a helper, and,
added to all this, he had to assume the
cares and responsibilities of instruction and
government in the schools of the Prophets.

This is, therefore, the language of a heart
greatly burdened, and pouring out in this
single exclamation its great surge of respon-
sibility and grief.

But to this language of personal sorroW)

he adds also that of religious and jKdriotic
lamentation: "The chariot of Israel and the
HORSEMEN THEREOF." The thought was evi-
dently caught from the scene before him ;
and the idea is, that whilst Elijah had been
to him a father, he had been to Israel, to
the Church and the Nation, a chariot and a
horseman. His labors and prayers had
been of more value than military defences.
He had done more by his counsels and in-
tercessions for the protection and security
of his country than chariots and horsemen.
Whilst he had lost a Father, Israel had been
bereaved of its strength and security.
Hence he combines the expression of per-
sonal sorrow, with that of religious and
national lamentation. He was bereft of a
Father, the Church of a Propliet, and the
nation of a Defender.

Now, my dear friends, all this is only too

vividly realized in the bereavement that
hangs this pulpit in mourning, and fills this
church and community with sorrow.

This language of Elishaisonly loo ajDpo-
site to the occasion. Whilst it describes by
a remarkable coincidence, and with a strik-
ing minuteness of detail, the relation of the
speaker to his departed Father and Coun-
sellor, it is almost equally applicable to this
whole assembly. He was the Father of
this congregation — indeed of a whole family
of congregations in and around these cities.
The spiritual Father of multitudes here as-
sembled, and perhaps the Father's Father of
many. The Father who witnessed your
Father's vows, and sprinkled upon you the
water of baptism. The Father who in-
structed your childhood ; solemnized your
marriage covenant; received you into the
family of Jesus; counseled at your fire-side ;

prayed with you in sickness, and brought
comfort and tranquillity amid the storms of
affliction and bereavement. He was the
aged Patriarch to whom this whole commu-
nity did obeisance, and before whose vener-
able and majestic form even the stranger
was ready to pause and say in Eastern
jDhrase, '^0 King, live forever P^ We may,
therefore, adopt this language as the ex-
pression of our common sorrow, and as we
look upward and trace the radiant pathway
along which he passed to glory, exclaim,
"% Father, My Father T

But we may also add, this expression of
religious and 'patriotic grief: "The chariot of
Israel and the horsemen thereof!" for
whilst we have lost a Father, the Church has
lost an able Minister, a wise and influential
Presbyter, venerable for character and of-
fice, well known in all Israel ; and the na-

tion a patriot citizeu, who had caught the
spirit of liberty fresh from his Revolutionary
Sire, whose heart was true to the union of
these States, and whose counsels and joray-
ers in this day of our country's danger
would have been of more value than char-
iots and horsemen. We may all, therefore,
like Elisha, mingling together our personal,
our religious and patriotic lamentation, ex-
claim: "My Father, My Father, the
CHARIOT OF Israel, and the horsemen
thereof!"

It may gratify our feelings of personal
sorrow to recount the events of his life, and
deepen our conviction of the loss which tlie
Church and the Nation has sustained, to
estimate Ids character and luorth.

Let me then present you : —

FIRST,

A Brief Narrative. of his Personal History.

Dr. Herkon was born near Shippensburg,
Pa., on the 28th day of June, 1774 — just m
the heat of the great Revolutionary struggle,
and two years previous to the Declaration
of our National Independence.

This threw the period of his youth and
education in the midst of that era whose
formative influences produced that race of
great and noble men, who reared our free
institutions, and developed our Protestant
Christianity. His parents were of that
illustrious, historic race — the Scotch Irish
Preshjjterkms — memorable in all their gen-
erations for their devotion to liberty and
religion, and ever ready to die upon the
battle field in the defence of the one, or to

burn at the stake as a testimony for the other.
It was the happiness of our departed Father
to have been born at sucli a time, and of
such a parentage. He imbibed from the
spirit of the age that manly courage, and
that peculiar tinge of moral heroism that
characterised his whole life ; whilst from
parental instruction and influence he re-
ceived that high estimate of the worth of
religion, that conviction of its experimental
and practical nature, and that thorough in-
doctrination in the principles of the West-
minster Catechism which made him so ef-
fective as a preacher, so evangelical and
orthodox as a divine.

After passing through the discipline of
youth, and the "ci*/-ricw?ii;;i" of preparatory
study under the parental roof, he was sent
to Dickinson College at Carlisle, where he
was highly favored in enjoying the tuition

of the distinguished Dr. Nesbit — a man who
combined varied learning, ripe scholarship,
the power of acquiring, retaining and im-
parting knowledge, with such matchless wit,
as made him the wonder and admiration of
his time. In this institution he completed
his classical course, graduating May 6th,
1794.

Of his early religious history we have no
certain information. The probability is,
that his heart was renewed in early youth,
and that it was with a view to his prepara-
tion for the ministry that he first entered
upo]i a course of classical education. Im-
mediately upon his return from college he
commenced the study of Theology, under
the direction of Dr. Robert Cooper, his
pastor, and was licensed to preach by the
Presbytery of Carlisle, on the 4th day of

October, 1797.

Soon after his licensure, probably in the
year 1798, or 1799, he took a journey, on
horseback, to what was then called the
"Back- woods," passing through this city,
and traveling as far west as Chillicothe.
He started on this journey iu company with
the Rev. Mr. Mahon, (who had previously
been a stated supply to this congregation
for one or two years,) and the Rev. Matthew
Brown, who had been his classmate in col-
lege. They arrived on Friday evening at
the tavern at the Six Mile Run, near Wil-
kinsburg. At this place Dr. Herron remained
over Sabbath, at the urgent solicitation of
some Presbyterian families in the neighbor-
hood, and preached to the people who as-
sembled, standing under the shade of an
apple tree, near what is commonly known
as the Bullock Pens. His companions
traveled on to this place, and Mr. Mahon

filled the pulpit of this Church on the same
Sabbath,

The journey of Dr. Herron, from this
place to Chillicothe, was one of no little
trial. He frequently spoke of it with
great interest, and described the diffi-
culties and incidents of the way. His only
companion and guide was a Frontier Settler,
who had once before passed along the
route. A large portion of their way lay
through an almost unbroken wilderness —
the course indicated sometimes by a narrow
pathway, but often by nothing more than
the "blazes" upon the trees. The latter
part of the journey was difficult and peril-
ous. For days they could not find even a
cabin for shelter, and were compelled to en-
camp two successive nights with the Indi-
ans, in the neighborhood of the present
town of Marietta.

It was oil his return from Chillicothe
that he visited this city, then a small village
containing not more than fifteen or eighteen
hundred inhabitants, without a pavement, a
turnpike, a stage coach, a Bank, an Iron
Foundry, and with but a single Church —
the first rude log structure which stood upon
the spot wliich we now occupy. In the
keeper of the Public House, where he lodged
he found an acquaintance whom he had
known in the East, at whose urgent solici-
tation he consented to preach. Notice was
accordingly given, by a messenger who went
from house to house, and in the evening a
congregation of fifteen or eighteen persons
assembled, to whom the Doctor preached,
much to the annoyance (as he expressed it,)
of the swallows, who seemed to claim a
pre-emption right to the premises.

This journey, however, was eminently a

hallowed period in the Doctor's life, and
was doubtless ordered in the providence of
God, as a special preparation for future use-
fulness. It was at a period when a number
of the Churches in tin's western field were
enjoying limes of refreshing from the pres-
ence of God. To these favored spots he
directed his course, and entering heartily
into the work he received a fresh unction
himself, whilst he proclaimed the tidings of
salvation to others. He preached for Dr.
M'Millan, at the Chartiers Church, during
a time of deep and solemn revival. He
also spoke of having visited Dr. Ealston,
Mr. Porter, Dr. Smith and others, who
were enjoying more or less the demonstra-
tion and power of the Divine Spirit.

In the course of this journey he preached
at the Buffalo Church, then vacant. The
people were so delighted with his ministra-

tion, that they invited him with one voice
to become their pastor. This call Dr. Ral-
ston urged him very strongly to accept.
Holding it under consideration he returned
again to the East, where he found a call
awaiting him from the Rocky Spring
Church, in the vicinity of his own home.
This determined his course. He declined
the call to Buffalo, and accepted that to
Rocky Spring. He was accordingly or-
dained to the Ministry, and installed as
pastor of that Church, on the 9th day of
April, in the year 1800.

Greatly quickened in his own religious
experience, by tlie revival scenes through
whicli he had passed, and fired with a new
zeal for the glory of God and the salvation
of souls, he entered upon his labors at
Rocky Spring, and soon inaugurated a new
era in the spiritual history of that people.

He preached with such an unction and
power that sinners began to awake from
their lethargy, and dull and slumbering
Christians roused to a new life. Prayer
Meetings, which hitherto had been unknown
in that Church, he now instituted, and con-
ducted with the most encouraging success.
To this he added Bible classes, and meetings
for catechetical instruction, which inter-
ested the young, and were the means of
blessing to coming generations. The ten
succeeding years, during which he continued
the pastor of that Church, was a period of
healthful religious progress : the congrega-
tion growing in piety and strength, and the
young pastor in ministerial power and in-
fluence with the people. Many still live,
in whose minds the memories of that pas-
torate are still fresh and interesting. Two
persons are now present, one an Elder and
the other a Trustee of this Church, who

were baptized by Dr. Herron, fifty and fifty-
one years ago, in the Church at Rocky
Spring.

The second year of his pastorate (Feb.,
1802,) wns signalized by his marriage with
EHzabeth Blain, daughter of Alexander
Blain, Esq., then residing in the vicinity of
Carlisle, Pa. This happy relation, em-
bosoming so much of earthly hope and re-
sponsibility, was continued in the kind
providence of God for the long period of
fifty-three years ; surviving the relation of
pastor and people, flouvisliing in beauty
even in the winter of age, and broken only
by the law of the harvest, which gathered
first the wife and then the husband "in full
age," like "ripened shocks," into the garner
of the Lord.

Thus settled, usefully in his pastorate, hap-

pily in his family, and in circumstances of
pecuniary ease, upon a farm presented to
him by his father, lie pursued the objects of
his high calling with great vigor and en-
couraging success.

In the year 1810, he again took a jour-
ney to this city, to visit his sister Mrs,
Peebles, and his brother-in-law Dr. Brown,
then President of Washington College.
During his stay here he preached in this
Church, by invitation, the pulpit having
been left vacant by the death of the Rev.
Robert Steele. A venerable mother in
this Church still remembers the sermon,
and has given me the text. It was the 8th
verse of the 2nd chapter of the Song of
Solomon, ''The voice of my beloved, behold
he Cometh, leaping upon the mountains and
skipping upon the hills." The people were

so much delighted, that upon his return
5

from Washington he was urged to preach
again. There was such an anxiety to hear
him that some of the hiclies went to the
Church onhorseback, the mud being too deep
for them to walk, and others were carried
there. This second sermon produced such
an enthusiasm, that a meeting of the con-
gregation was held immediately and a call
made out.

Having signified his acceptance of this
call, the Presbytery of Carlisle dissolved
his pastoral relation with the Church of
Rocky Spring, and dismissed him to the
Presbytery of Ohio, on the 3d day of April,
1811, as appears from the following record
in the Minute Book of the Board of Trus-
tees of this Church: — (I cite the record, be-
cause, as there is some difference of opinion,
it is important to fix this date,) — "Resolved,
That the salary (of six hundred dollars per

annum) of Mr. Francis Herron, commence
from the od day of April, 1811, being the
time at which, by the consent of the Carlisle
Presbytery, he accepted the call from this
Congregation,"

About the middle of the following
month, (May, 1811,) he arrived in Pitts-
burgh, having crossed the Mountains with
liis wife and children in the large road-
wagon which carried his household goods.
A lively recollection of this journey was
retained by Mrs, Herron, who was fond of
dwelling upon its incidents, when in her
old age her mind reverted facetiously to the
occurrences of her early life.

On the 18th of June, Dr, Herron met
with the Presbytery of Ohio, and having
formally accepted the call, he was received
as a member of that body, and duly recog-

nizecl as the pastor of this Church. The
Elders then m office were James Cooper
and James Clow. James O'Hara was
President of the Board of Trustees ; Boyle
Irwin, Treasurer ; Wm. Steel, Secretnry ;
John Darragh, William McCandless, and
James Irvine, Auditors of Accounts; Wm.
Hays, James Arthurs, David Pride, John
Hannan, and James Gibson, Wardens.

At this time the business and commercial
interests of the City had advanced to an
encouraging stage of prosperity. A Turn-
pike road was in progress ; a line of Stage
Coaches connected this City with the East ;
a branch of the Bank of Pennsylvania had
been established ; a Boiling Mill was in
the course of erection ; a Steam Flouring
Mill had been completed, and Schooners,
Galleys, and even Ships, were being built
upon our wharves.

But, notwithstanding this outward pros-
perity, when the young pastor came to un-
derstand the circumstances in which lie
was placed, he found himself in a position
of great difficulty, and in the face of trials
and exigencies which would test him to the
uttermost, and out of which the help of
God alone could give him deliverance.
The Church was in an almost hopeless state
of pecuniary embarrassment ; but far worse
than this, religion, by a large portion
of the people, was utterly discarded,
and with many of its jjrofessors had
little more than the semblance of form.
The Sessional Record states that "the
number of persons who then attended ujDon
the preaching of the Word, was compara-
tively small, and the laxity of discipline
was equally lamentable." We have fre-
quently heard Dr. Herron speak of the

prevalence of fashionable follies ; the
strength of pernicious social habits; the
influence of worldliness over the Church;
and the mournful absence of the spirit and
power of vital godliness, that characterized
that period.

To meet and counteract all this, the
young pastor girded himself, and determined
that, in the strength of God, he would pre-
vail. He first commenced in the pulpit.
He set before him two objects : First, to
preach the simple gospel of Christ, in its
pointed and pungent application to the
hearts and consciences of his hearers ; and
then, to expose their misdoings and sins,
with the plain, unsparing fidelity of one
who loved their souls, and who had come,
in the spirit of his Master, to "seek and
save" them. His preaching did not fail in
its effect. It roused dead formalists and

impenitent sinners to violent opposition.
This was a most encouraging indication.
Sinners excited to wrath by a pure gospel,
are in a far more hopeful state, than when
they sit and take the most pungent appli-
cation of truth with a stolid, lethargic indif-
ference. In the one case, they are mani-
festly susceptible ; the truth tells, cuts,
pierces ; in the other, they are hard,
dead, unimpressible, apparently beyond
the reach of the truth. Besides, the
reaction from a state of opposition, to that
of acc[uiescence, is always powerful. No
man enters the Church so much like a little
child, as he who before was ready to gnash
with his teeth. Paul, the flaming persecu-
tor, came led by the hand, like a subdued
child, to Ananias to receive baptism and
profess Jesus. So the Doctor reasoned at the
time, and, as we shall afterward see, he
was not mistaken. When the opposition

gave way, it was like the letting out of
waters. It was however long continued,
and required courage and patience to meet
it. But the Doctor preached on in the
strength of God. One, writing about that
time says: "I well remember the power of
his preaching. His manner was dignified
and impressive ; his application of the truth
was pointed; and the earnestness with which
he appealed to sinners brought the convic-
tion that he believed all he uttered. His
denunciations of the wrath of God against
the wicked were most powerful and alarm-
ing, whilst, on the other hand, he often
dwelt on the fullness of the Saviour, and be-
sought men to be reconciled to God."

But, besides the preaching of the Gospel,
other instrumentalities were necessary.
Before a general impression could be made
upon the world without, a thorough refor-

mation was needful in the bosom of the
Church. Christians must be made to feel
their responsibility ; led upward to a higher
standard of piety, and outward to active
efficient labors for the conversion of souls.
To effect this, the Doctor sought to employ
the Prayer Meeting, which he had found so
useful an auxiliary in his former charge.
But in this he met with discouragement,
even from the best of his people, and open
and determined hostility from others. It
was altogether a novelty, an out-growth,
as they said, of fanaticism, a Methodistical
extravagance that could not be tolerated.
But the young pastor was not to be turned
aside from his holy purpose. He knew the
delights of communion with God ; from
past experience he had learned that God
favored and smiled upon a praying people,
and, therefore, he determined to go for-
ward.

In the execution of this resolve, he found
a most valuable coadjutor in the pastor of
the Second Church, the Rev. Thomas Hunt.
He was a man of a truly evangelical spirit,
and ready for every good word and work.
Accordingly, the two pastors united in this
project ; but, as the opposition was strong
in both churches, and, as they wished to
avoid the collision which would ensue from
an attempt to employ either church edifice
for such a jDurpose, they appointed the
prayer meeting in the small room in which
Mr, Hunt taught a day school, and invited
all who felt disposed to meet with them for
special prayer, to attend. But, alas ! the
spirit of prayer was wanting. One solitary
man, with six females, and the two Pastors,
composed the meeting. The two sessions
could furnish but one praying Elder, and
the two congregations, but six females who
had hearts attuned to such a service. Nor

did the encouragements increase the second
or third meeting, nor the fortieth or fiftieth
meeting. For eighteen months, that little
company continued to wrestle in faith and
prayer without a single addition to their
number. To this want of encouragement,
upon the part of professing Christians, was
added an open and determined resistance
upon the part of others. At first, the meet-
ing excited curiositj^ It was so novel, that
many did not properly understand what it
meant. Accordingly, fathers and husbands
prohibited their wives and daughters from
attending. Finally, Dr. Herron was waited
upon and told that this extravagance could
not be endured, and that a stop must be
put to these meetings at once. To this the
Doctor replied, with that imperial majesty
so characteristic of the man : "Gentlemen,
these meetings will not stop — you are at
liberty to do as you please ; but I, also, have

the liberty to worship God according to the
dictates of iny conscience, none daring to
molest or make me afraid." "This was,
doubtless, (as Dr. Howard has well re-
marked, in his history of the Second
Church,) the turning point in the moral
and spiritual history of these Cities." Had
these good men cowered before the opposi-
tion which seemed ready to overwhelm
them, evangelical religion would have been
crushed and ejected from our midst. But
their courage and fidelity achieved a victory,
the blessings of which are transmitted to
the present moment. From the hour that
Dr. Herron uttered his brave and deter-
mined resolve, the opposition began to
abate. The prayer meeting gradually in-
creased. A spirit of piety began to mani-
fest itself among the members of the
Church. The conversion of numerous in-
dividuals, some from the ranks of the gay

and fashionable, produced deep impression
on the whole community. From that time,
the cause of religion in this Church began
to prosper. Two new Elders, Jas. Brown
and John M. Snowden, were at this time
added to the session, and an increased ef-
ficiency began to evince itself in every de-
partment of the Church's work.

But these were not the only difficulties that
encompassed the position of Dr. Herron.
With this contest against lukewarmness and
irreligion, he had to maintain, at the same
time, an incessant struggle against the
pecuniary embarrassments, which impeded
the progress, and at one time threatened
the ruin of the Church. In 1802, the Wood
street front of this property had been pur-
chased, and subsequently the old log struc-
ture had been encased in brick, and other im-
provements made, the expense of which only

to a very small extent had been defrayed.
Accordingly, Dr. Herron found, when he
entered upon his ministry here, this great
burden of debt hanging over the congrega-
tion, with but little probability of its being
canceled by the liberality of the people.
Various temporary expedients for postpone-
ment were devised, but these were soon ex-
hausted, and in December, 1813, his worst
apprehensions were realized by the Sheriff
levying upon the purchased lot, together
with the Church building, and announcing
its exposure to public sale. This was an
hour of great embarrassment ; but the Doc-
tor, with that promptness and efficiency
which always rendered him so valuable iji
an exigency, attended the Sheriff's sale, and
purchased the property in his own name,
for the sum of |2,819. Soon after, he sold
a small portion of this property — a lot 60
feet square, on the corner of Wood and

Sixth streets — to the Bank of Pittsburgh,
as a site for their contemphited Banking
House, for the sum of $3,000/"

With this money he paid off" every debt
and incumbrance upon the Church, reco::-
veyed the residue of the ground to the con ■
gregation, and in July, 1814, three years
from the commencement of his ministry,
reported $180 of surpkis money in tlie
treasury.

*-U making this sale to tlie B:i:ik it wis agreed, that ia case tlie Direc-
tors did not conclude to erect tbeir Banking Ilou'Se on the lut, that the con-
gregation should h ive the privilege ot taking back the ground at the same
price, with the addiiion ofBiik in'arest. This agreemsnt was expressed in
a resolution by the Directi rs of the Bmk, a c.ipy of which was sent to the
Trustees of the Church. In thy year IS 16, when it was determined to build
the Banking H luse in another locality, the lot was offered to the congregation
upon the terms specified in the agreement. Tlie offer was however declined,
on ace unt of the inability of the congregation to raise the money.

In the year 1827, the property wai again offered to the congregation for
the sum originally paid, deducting tlie interest. This generou? otTer was ac-
cepted, and in order to meet the payment, a lot of 36 feet bj 60, on the corner
of Wood and Sixtli streets, was s)ld for $2,600, anl a lot of similar dimensions
on the corner of Wood street and Virgin Alley, for $1,500. This enabled the
congregation to pay $3,000 to the Bank, and to erect the iron fence in the
front of the Church, with the residue.

Relieved of this incubus of debt, the con-
gregation now started upon a new era of
prosperity. The popularity of Dr. Herron
as a preacher, had been steadily advancing.
The attendance upon his ministry now in-
creased rapidly, and the demand for pews
became so great, that it was found neces-
sary to enlarge the Church. This was
done by removing the side walls and en-
larging the width of the building, to an
extent sufficient to make an aisle and a row
of additional pews on each side. The re-
construction was completed in December,
1817, at which time the re-sale of the pews
brought in an increase of funds sufficient to
defray the expenses of the present improve-
ment, and leave a surplus large enough to
authorize the remodeling of the pulpit, and
the erection of the Session Room in its rear.

To complete the equipment of the en-

larged and improved edifice, G-en. O'Hara,
wtio had long been identified with this
Church as tlie President of its Board of
Trustees, presented to the congregation, a
large glass chandelier, which was suspend-
ed from the centre of the ceiling, and con-
tinued to illuminate and beautify the sanc-
tuary for nearly forty years.

"At this period (says the Sessional Rec-
ord,) the affairs of the congregation wore a
satisfactory and pleasing aspect."

As token of the gratitude of the congre-
gation, and of the high estimate which they
put upon the practical efficiency and minis^
terial excellence of their pastor, they raised
his salary to fifteen hundred dollars — ^a
large compensation for that time, — as
creditable to the generosity of the peo|)le
who gave, as it was complimentary to the
7

the Minister, who was regarded worthy of
the gift.

In the year 1818, four new members
were added to the session, William Blair,
Thomas Heazleton, J. Tliompson, and John
Hannen. In this year I find a record in
the Minutes of the Board of Trustees, show-
ing the high value which was placed upon
the ministerial qualifications of Dr. Herron
beyond the limits of his own congregation.
It is a letter from the Board of Trustees of
the Second Presbyterian Church of this
City, addressed to James Ross, President of
the Board of Trustees of this Church, ex-
pressing their conviction "that it would con-
tribute to the advancement of the Redeem-
er's Kingdom, the honor of religion, and
the advantage of the Presbyterian interest,
to unite both congregations as a collegiate
charge, under the pastoral control of Dr.

HeiTon, with a colleague to be chosen by
the joint vote of the two congregations."
The proposition, after due consideration,
was declined ; but I mention it here to
show what a unity of feeling and interest
existed between the two churches at that
time, and how strongly Dr. Herron had en-
trenched himself in the confidence and af-
fection of the community.

Among the many instrumentalities ichicli
contributed to give so high a degree of ef-
ficiency to the ministry of Br. Herron, tee
mention Catechetical Instruction, Bible
Classes, and Sunday Schools. His cate-
chetical instructions began soon after his
settlement; and we have often heard him
express the conviction, that this good old
Presbyterian usage of drilling the children
in the family and in the church in the let-
ter of the Shorter Catechism, is the best of

all methods for impressing evangelical con-
victions, and for training a generation of
sound, orthodox, intelligent christians. This
system, at first confined to the children, was,
in 1823, extended to the adult members of
the congregation. A large Bible class was
then formed, composed of old and young,
males and females. This was conducted by
the Doctor in person, in the Church build-
ing, every Sabbath afternoon. This meet-
ing was largely attended, and (as I am told
by one who remembers those occasions with
lively interest,) greatly blessed.

When the first Sabbath Schools were or-
ganized under Dr. Herron's ministry, it is
difiicultto ascertain accurately. In the year
1812, a school for Sabbath instruction was
held in an old stable, near the old Cotton
Mill, in the upper part of the city. It was
taught by a gentleman, whose name I have

not been able to learn, who conducted a
day school in the vicinity. As public senti-
ment was then so strongly opposed to such
measures, he was not permitted to hold it
in his own school house, and therefore re-
sorted, with his six scholars, to a stable.
One of those six boys is now an Elder in the
Sixth Presbyterian Church, in this city, and
remembers with great interest the frequent
visits of Dr. Hen on to that school on Sal)-
bath mornings ; the interest which he took
in their instruction; and the earnestness
with which he would tell them the story of
the Saviour's dying love. This humble
school, starting (as did Christianity itself, )
in a stable, was one of the first real
Sabbath Schools in the United States/--' It
was in existence four years prior to the
New York Sunday School Union, which

*Two other Schools, mentioned in the Historical Sketch of the Sunday
School Union, were started at an earlier date.

was instituted in 181G, and five years prior
to the Philadelphia Sunday and Adult-
School Union, which dates its origin in
1817. This school was afterward removed
to another humble room, near Hog's Pond.
This structure was soon torn down, and it
was taken to the kitchen of a Mr. Marshall
upon Smithfield Street, and thence to a
room on Scotch Hill. In this locality it
soon increased in numbers, and its success
led to the formation of other schools, five
or six of which were, at that early day, un-
der the care of this Church. This growth
of interest in Sunday Schools, led to the for-
mation of a Sunday School Association in
this Church, in January, 1825, which was a
vigorous, active, and highly useful organi-
zation. It superintended the planting and
training of a large number of Sabbath
Schools; and in doing this, it exercised and
developed the christian experience and

character of many, who are now the most
useful members of this Church. At this
time, Dr. Herron having dissipated all the
prejudices against social meetings for
prayer, felt greatly the need of a building
adapted to this purpose. To supply this
want, the Sunday School Association came
to his assistance, and joi'oposed to build a
house to answer the double purpose of a
Sabbath School and Lecture Room. This
project was vigorously undertaken and suc-
cessfully accomj^lished in the summer of
1826; and from that time the Prayer Meet-
ing and the Sabbath Schools became most
valuable auxiliaries to the growth and
edification of this Church.

In this year, 1825, a new sphere of
christian activity and enterprise was opened
to Dr. Herron. The General Assembly had
resolved to establish a Theological Seminary

in the West; and a Board of live Commis-
sioners, of which General Andrew Jackson
was one, had been appointed to select a
location for the new Seminary. This sug-
gested to Dr. Herron and Dr. Swift, the
propriety of urging tiie claims of Allegheny
City. The project meeting with the favor
and support of the citizens and ministers of
this whole region, Dr. Herron embarked in
the enterprise with his whole heart, and
with the co-operation of Dr. Swift and
others, succeeded, after much laborious and
skillful effort, in obtaining a decision in fa-
vor of this location, by a majority of three
votes. The location settled, the institution
had to be organized, manned and support-
ed. All this involved an expenditure of
time and labor, and a burden of care and
responsibility, from which the Doctor never
shrank for a moment. Dr. Swift devoted
himself temporarily to the instructions of

the institution, whilst Dr. Herron assumed,
to a kxrge extent, the toils and anxieties of
its sustenance. To this he devoted him-
self for years, with unwearied assiduity ;
and to no one man, living or dead, does
this institution owe a greater debt of grati-
tude. ^Text to this congregation, the Semi-
nary occupied the first place in his heart. '"'•
I do not think it is too much to say that for
years he carried it upon his shoulders. He

* The Henry LiBRAar. which has been of much vahie to this Seminary,
was procured by Dr. Ilerrju, under the following circumstances : lie was
appointed, at ai early Jay, as a Director in Princeton Seminary, and this
position he hold for some time after AUeglicny Seminary was organized. On
one occasion, when traveling to Princeton to a Meeting of the Board, lie
was joined in Philadelphia by Alexander Henry, Esq , who was also on his
way to Princeton fur the same purpose. Mr. lleury's son, the Rev. Charlton
Henry, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina,
had died but a short time before, and his father had been thinking of pre.
sentiu^ to Princeton Seminary the valuable library, which his son, just be-
fore his decsise, hil githered during a visit to Europe. Dr. Herron, dis
covering his intention during the course of conversation, urged the claims
of Allegheny Seminary, as a new ins titution just starting, and needing above
all things juU such a treasure as this. 'When they arrived at Princeton, the
desire of Dr. Herron was mentioned to Dr. Alexander, and Di . Miller, both
of whom, with characteristic generosity, favored the proposal. Accordingly ,
Mr. Henry nixle the donation, the advauta;je3 of which our Seminary is
reaping to the present hour.

watched at its nativity, nursed its infant life,
nourished it with the bread of his own indus-
try, and tlien, in his old age, enjoyed the rich
luxury of rejoicing in its prosperity.

In the winter of 1827 and 1828, the heart
of the Doctor was greatly encouraged, and
his years of toil and patience abundantly
compensated by the rich blessing that
crowned his labors. The Spirit was poured
out from on high, and a revival of religion,
deep, powerful, and extensive, continued
for months, the memory of which is still
precious to many now present, who look
back to that period as the date of their
birth into the Kingdom. The facts in re-
ference to this interesting work, I have
gathered from conversations with many
who mingled in those scenes, and from a
statement given me by Dr. Campbell, who
rendered most efficient assistance during

the whole period. Their work of grace
commenced without any very special pre-
monitory indications. After a Wednesday
evening prayer meeting about the middle
of Dec. 1827, Dr. Herron, Dr. Campbell and
five or six others, tarried around the stove
after the congregation had retired, and the
conversation turned upon the state of re-
ligion in the Church, and the importance of
christians praying for a revival of God's
work. Their minds immediately became
so much interested, that it was proposed to
engage in prayer upon the spot. The
spirit of supplication seemed to be imparted
to that little company, and when they sepa-
rated it was with the understanding that
they would meet again upon Saturday eve-
ning. This, again, was a time of much
earnestness, and they parted with a secret
hope that God was about to reveal himself
in power. This, together with an account

which the Doctor received of a female
prayer meeting, held in tlie room of that
sainted mother, Mrs. Irish, stimulated him
to preach, on the following morning, with
unusual power and solemnity. At the close
of the service, he gave notice that he "would
preach in the evening on rather an unusual
subject." This brought a large audience,
and he announced as his text, Habakkuk,
3d chapter and 7th verse: "0 Lord, revive
thy work in the midst of the years ; in
the midst of the years make known, in
wrath remember mercy." From this text
he preached a powerful sermon upon re-
vivals of religion, in which an miction
seemed poured upon him from on high, and
a sjoirit of conviction upon the whole as-
sembly. At the close of the service, he in-
vited any who wished to remain for a season
of special prayer, to go with him into the
Lecture Room ; but added, in his emphatic

way, that he did not wish any to come ex-
cept those who were really anxious to pray
for themselves and others. To his great
delight, he found the Lecture Room filled,
crowded to its utmost capacity — seats, aisles,
and everywhere. It was now manifest that
God was truly present in his power. The
prayers were melting, and the feeling in-
tense, and many went away saying, "that
they had never felt so awfully solemn be-
fore." This led the Doctor to ajDpoint a
meeting on Monday evening, with a similar
result, and thus a series of meetings com-
menced, which were continued daily, and
sometimes twice a day, for three or four
months. The interest seemed for a long-
time to deepen every day. TJie Church
was thoroughly aroused, and multitudes
from the world without presented them-
selves as subjects for prayer. Dr. Oamjabell
devoted himself wholly to the work, and

labored side by side witli Dr. Hcrron in
every meeting. Father Patterson also
came to preach and pray with his great,
glowing heart, — Dr. Brown, Mr. Andrews,
and Father Johnston, rendered occasional
assistance ; and so the work of God went
on until at the communion, held on the
second Sabbath of January, thirty-live per-
sons united with the Church, on profession
of faith, and twenty upon certificate. Af-
ter this communion the work seemed to
deepen. The Lecture Room would no
longer hold the people, and they were com-
pelled to open the Church. The weather,
during the whole term was so rainy, that it
was known afterward as "the wet winter ;"
the mud, in the absence of good pavements,
was verij deep, and the streets without gas,
verij darJc. But, notwithstanding all, the
people came ; no inclemency diminished
the audience, for they were deeply in

earnest, and unwilling that there should be
any let or hindrance in the matter of their
souls' salvation. Another communion was
appointed on the first Sabbath of March,
and twenty-seven persons more were added
to this Church, and an equal number to the
Second Church, then under the ministry of
Dr. Swift. During this period, meetings
for prayer were held in different parts of
the congregation. The meeting in Bush-
nel's School House, near the Point, was
blessed in an especial manner. When con-
verts came to be examined for admission
to the Church, it was found that a large
number received their first impressions in
that meeting. Dr. Herron was accustomed
to refer to this as a genuine revival, and
eminently pure in its results, Among
other gratifying incidents, was the coiiver-
sion of several persons, who afterward be-
came Ministers of the Gospel, and of three

of the Doctor's own family, whom he had the
joy of welcoming to the Table of the Lord.
As the result of this new development of
spiritual strength, three new Elders were
set apart to the work of God — Harmar
Denny, William Plumer, and James Wil-
son.

Anotlier blessed season of revical occurred
in the year 1832. It commenced under
circumstances of unusual interest, which
we remember to have heard Dr. Herron
relate with much feeling. He had gone
from home, in company with Father Mc-
Curdy, to assist in a revival of religion,
which was in progress under the ministry
of the Rev. Samuel Tait. Amidst this
blessed scene of refreshing they labored for
some time, and at length returned, each to
his own charge, greatly refreshed in spirit,
and encouraged by the evidences of Divine

power which they had witnessed. Dr. Her-
ron preached upon the following Sabbath,
and it was manifest that the power of God
was present in the assembly. During the
evening service the impression was so great,
that all felt, that in truth God had visited
his people. This induced the Doctor to ap-
point a series of meetings; and he immedi-
ately wrote to Father McOurdy to come to
his assistance, that a revival of religion had
commenced in power. To this letter Fa-
ther McCurdy immediately replied, "he
could not come, that God had poured out
his Spirit upon his congregation on the same
day, and he was surrounded by sinners,
who were inquiring ' What they should do
to be saved,' " This circumstance affected
the mind of Dr. Herron deeply, and stimu-
lated him to enter with new vigor into the
work. The meetings increased daily in
interest. The people of God became deep-

ly enlisted in prayer, and a divine influence
continued for a long time to descend " like
rain upon the mown grass." In a few days
it was found that between sixty and seventy
persons were inquiring the *'way to Zion,
with their faces thitherward.*'

The solemnity of this occasion was
greatly deepened by the sadden death
of Father Patterson, who had been pres-
ent as a helper in the work. A private
letter, written at the time, furnishes this
record : "One of our saints last night
took his station before the throne to
receive his crown of glory, and a bright
one it will surely be. Dear old Father
Patterson, at one o'clock last night, put
off mortality. In the morning he sat for
his portrait; dined at his son's ; prayed in
the family at night, and became so much en-
gaged that his wife had to lift him from his

knees; went to bed as usual; but "at midnight
a cry was made, ' Behold the Bridegroom
Cometh;' " and in perfect readiness, with his
lamp trimmed and burning, he went forth
to meet the Bridegroom, and entered with
him into the joy of the Lord." This sud-
den event seemed directed by the Provi-
dence of God to deepen and extend the
work already begun. The interest con-
tinued for a long period, and produced its
fruits during two successive years. The
first year, 1832, fifty-four persons united
with the Church on profession of faith, and
twenty-eight on certificate ; and in the fol-
lowing year, nineteen were added on exam-
ination, and thirteen on certificate; making
in all one hundred and fourteen additions
to the Church.

The session was again replenished by
the addition of John Herron, John

Wright, Richard Edwards, Alex. Laugh-
lin, James H. Davis, and James Han-
son to the Eldership. The congregation
now being large and strong, a company of
young colonists, with the counsel and en-
couragement of their pastor, went off and
organized the Third Presbyterian Church,
which soon became a centre of blessed,
sanctified influence to this whole com-
munity.

The year 1835 was marked by the occur-
rence of what is usually misnamed ''the
Great Revival," on account of the great
excitement by which it was attended, and
the wide influence it exerted in almost all
the churches of the city. In this excite-
ment Dr. Herron was deeply and power-
fully enlisted. It did not- originate under
his own preaching, (for that was always so
purely evangelical as never to occasion any

extravagance,) but under the ministry of
the Rev. Mr. Gallagher, a celebrated revi-
valist, who preached enough of truth to
produce real genuine conversions, and
enough of error to awaken enthusiastic ex-
travagancies. The excitement of that win-
ter was beyond all parallel in the history
of these cities. It entered all the churches,
and reached almost every class in the com-
munity. The whole public mind was im-
pressed ; singing could be heard in the
hotels and along the streets ; wherever Mr.
Gallagher preached the Church was crowd-
ed; he would sometimes leave the pulpit
and preach up and down the aisles of the
church; anxious benches were brought for-
ward, and the awakened invited to them
for prayer and conversation. Dr. Herron
was captivated by the warmth and earnest-
ness of the man, and co-operated with him
in measures, the results of which he after-

ward regretted. When the harvest was
gathered, there was some wheat, but much
chafF. Some excellent christians were
born again under those influences, and
live to attest the presence and power
of the Divine Spirit ; but many spurious
converts, and some dreadful apostates, live
to evince the fact, that there was another
spirit also at work : an enemy sowing tares
amidst the wheat. The presence of Dr.
Herron, and other good, sound men, in the
midst of these scenes assisting by their
prayers, exhortations, and conversations,
accounts sufficiently for the presence of the
wheat. They sowed the good seed, and the
Spirit of Grod acknowledged their labors.
At this time fifty-six persons were added to
this Church upon the profession of their
faith, and proportionate numbers to almost
all the churches in the city.

The re-action that followed this season of
excitement, was sad and painful. A depres-
sion, j)roportionate to the previous stimula-
tion, was felt in the experience of individu-
als, and in the activity of the churches. In
this church a season of spiritual drought
ensued. In the following year, but five
persons, in the next, but two, and in the
next, but one, were added to the Church.

Dr. Herron was not, however, left long
to mourn the absence of God's power.
The years 1840, 1841, and 1843, were
again years of the right hand of the Most
High. The incidents of this period we have
not time to detail. The abundant blessing
of God rested upon this Church, and forty-
nine, twenty-eight, and thirty-seven per-
sons were successively added to its mem-
bership. The ranks of the Eldership hav-
ing been again thinned by death and re-

movals, four new members were, in the
year 1840, added to the Session: Frederick
Lorenz, Francis Bailey, Hugh M'Clelland,
and R. W. Poindexter.

Dr. Herron liad now, nearly, numbered Ids
^' three score years and ten;^' yet with a sur-
prising vigor and efficiency, he continued
all the duties of the ministerial office, till
the year 1850, when, halving completed
his 76th year, he resigned his pastoral
charge, under the conviction that like Elijah
he must soon depart, and with a strong de-
sire ere he went up to glory, to see another
called and inaugurated in the pastoral suc-
cession. The desire of his heart was grati-
fied. A successor was indicated by the
Providence of Grod. He received him with
open arms, and cherished him with the mag-
nanimity of his great christian heart, and
the tenderness of a parental affection.

This done, he felt that his mission was ac-
complished, and he was ready (as he ex-
pressed it at the Communion Table,) to say,
with aged Simeon, "Lord, lettest now thy
servant depart in peace." But this prayer
was not speedily to be answered. There
was yet a work, as important as any of his
life, reserved for him in the Providence of
God — the exemplification of the beauties of
the christian character, and of the sustain-
ing and comforting power of true religion,
amid the trials and infirmities of old age.
No work of his life did he discharge
so admirably as this. His happy, green
old age was a refreshment to every behold-
er. The admirable grace with which he
retired from official position; the strength
with which he sustained domestic affliction;
the fresh and almost youthful sympathies of
his heart; the cheerful, happy beaming of

his countenance ; the warm outflow of his
10

genial aftections; the depth and fervor of
his matured piety: and all the luxuriant
fruitage of autumn life, carried forward
and flourishing green and unwithered amid
the frosts and snows of winter, fastened the
conviction upon every heart, of the inesti-
mable value of that religion which can en-
circle age and death with such a crown of
glory.

The bereavement, which, in June, 1855,
deprived him of the beloved wife who
had shared the aspirations of his youth ;
strengthened the energies of his manhood ;
relieved the cares of his household, and
sympathised and co-operated in the issues
of his ministry, seemed sanctified and di-
rected in the Providence of God, as the
last disciplinary ordeal to mellow his expe-
rience, and plume his spirit for its heavenly
flight. When at last death came, it found

him ready and waiting for the "Horsemen
and the Chariot." He had no preparation
to make. His earthly cares had all been
set in order, and his spirit was ready with
the "wedding garment" on. He expressed
his conviction that all was well, and then —

"He wrapped the drapery of bis couch
About bim, and lay down to pleasant dreams."

He died as if he was leaning his head upon
the bosom of Jesus, and breathing his life
out sweetly there. With a dying breath,
soft and quiet as an infant's slumber, his
soul melted away into the light of heaven.

SECOND DISCOURSE.

''Sot \)c toas a gool^ tnnn, an^ full of tl)c i^oln
(51)05t nub of faiti), aixii mitcl) people toas abbcb
imto tl)e Cor^."— Acts 11 : 24.

Nothing is more difficult or delicate, than
to speak from the pulpit in a becoming
manner of the character and worth of a
departed minister. The language of glow-
ing eulogy, which the personal feelings of
the speaker dictate, or the affectionate ad-
miration of a sorrowing congregation re-
quires, might be offensive to Him "who
will not give his glory to another, or his
praise to graven images." Happily, in our
text we have an inspired directory, teach-
ing us how to delineate the worth of the

man, and at the same time, to reflect the
glory of God.

"J3e was a good man, full of the Holy
Ghost and of faith? This was the eulogium
which the Spirit of Truth pronounced upon
Barnabas. When Human Wisdom utters
its panegyric, it says, "He was a great man/'
but when Divine Wisdom utters its eulogy,
it says, "He was a good man.''^ Greatness is
the gift of Nature, but goodness is the gift
of Grace. Greatness may be linked with
vice, but goodness is the golden bond of
fellowship with God.

But, lest we should mistake in what good-
ness consists, the Spirit of Truth indicates
in our text its two constituent elements : — ^^He
was full of the Holy Ghost and of faith?
Goodness, then, is not a mere negation, as
some suppose. It does not consist simply in

the absence of vicious conduct or evil pro-
pensities ; nor is it merely that tameness of na-
tural character, which bears good-naturedly
the jostle of social contact. Goodness,
upon the other hand, is a real, positive,
living virtue — consisting, first, in the exer-
cise of a faith wliich works for God; and,
secondly, in an indwelling of the Holy
Ghost, which quickens and sanctifies the
life.

Whilst this was the character of Bar-
nabas, it was also, as the text indicates, the
secret of his ministerial success: — ^^And much
people laas added unto the Lord." He was
eminently useful — the means of winning
many souls to Christ ; not because of his
learning, or talents, or eloquence, but
simply because he was "a good man, full of
faith and the Holy Ghost."

What is here recorded of Barnabas, may
be adopted, in all the fullness of its import,
as the eulogium of our departed Father.
He was a ^^good man" — good in the high-
est and best sense; good both to the eye of
man and of God: — "He was full of the
Holy Ghost and of faith," and, as a conse-
quence, he was an eminently successful
minister: — "Much people was added unto
the Lord."

Having already narrated the events of
his life, let us now proceed, in the spirit of
the text, TO delineate his character and

ESTIMATE HIS WORTH.

In doing this, it will be necessary to view
him, first, as a Man. There is such an inti-
mate and indissoluble connection between
the man, the christian, and the minister,
that should we fail to estimate either aright

if we overlook the relation of the one to the
other. There is a basis of natural tempera-
ment and disposition, which gives individu-
ality or idiosyncrasy to the character of
every one. This is not destroyed or essen-
tially altered by the operation of Divine
Grace, but only modified and redirected.
Hence, these natural traits individualize,
and give form, complexion, and expressive-
ness to the christian ; whilst both combined
mould the character of the minister, and
determine the peculiar qualities and ele-
ments of power by wliich his public life is
signalized. This was forcibly exemplified
in the case of the Apostles, Neither the
''washing of regeneration," nor the inspira-
tion of the Divine Spirit, produced a uniform-
ity of christian characteristics; or a similarity,
much less an identity, of ministerial gifts.
Paul, with his strong intellectuality ; Peter,

with his earnest impulsiveness ; John, with
his glowing affection ; Thomas, with his in-
credulous spirit of inquiry ; Philip, with
his deep reasonings about the Infinite, say-
ing, "Show us the Father and it sufficeth
us," — constituted a ministerial group in
which each differed from the other, "as one
star difl'ers from another in glory." This
was not a diversity of religious experience,
owing to the different operations of the
selfsame Spirit, but of natural temperament,
of mental and moral constitution, trans-
fusing their christian life, and giving to
each a characteristic individuality, and a
distinct and peculiar ministry. As, there-
fore, it is plain that it is the man which, in
a measure, forms the christian, and both
combined, the minister, let us contemplate
Dr. Herron : —

First — As a Man.

Let us endeavor to ascertain tlie hasis of
natural character upon which his graces, as a
christian, and his qualijlcafions, as a minis-
ter, were predicated.

There are two classes of men — those who
are made by the times, and those who are
made for the times. The former are straws
borne upon the current ; clay moulded to
shape by the plastic force of circumstances.
They are mere echos of the sentiment, re-
flections of the spirit of the times. The
latter (a very small class indeed,) are men
of nerve, will, power — moulding instead of
being moulded; breasting the current rather
than floating on its surface. They are
generic forces originating thought, creating
circumstances and propelling society in their

own way, and for their own purposes.
Such men stamp their own impress upon
the community in which they live, work
reformations, and originate eras of progress
and improvement.

Of this class, Dr. Herron was a striking
example. He was a man of nerve and
power ; he had the elements of force and
influence in himself; a man made for the
times, to reform the times ; to control and
redirect the forces which shape the opinions
and mould the feelings of the community.
He was one of those men who seem, in
the Providence of God, to be born to in-
fluence ; his simple presence was a power ;
he claimed nothing, but men spontaneously
yielded to him the precedence. He was
a man who never could have been hid-
den ; formed by nature for a leader, his
influence would have been felt in any

sphere. Had he been a soldier, he must
have risen to the command ; a politician, he
would have been the leader of his jparty ;
had his lot been cast in the humblest posi-
tion of life, he would have risen to the first
station in society. Nothing could have
kept him down ; not because he aspired, but
because it was his nature to rise ; not be-
cause he claimed a pre-eminence, but be-
because he had that peculiar something,
which made all others push him upward.

This natural force, sanctified by the Grace
of God, was a potent, restraining and re-
formatory influence in this community.
Vice cowered before his glance ; a mean
man could not stand in his presence ; per-
nicious social habits and worldly follies,
though entrenched behind wealth and cus-
tom, could not withstand the force of his
opposition. Good men felt his power,

and instinctively yielded to his control.
He was a centre to which other influences
were attracted, and around which they
revolved. His plans commanded confi-
dence ; his approbation was a guarantee of
success ; his word, with those who knew
him, had the force of law, and his opposi-
tion few men had the courage to encounter.

It may be well to trace and analyze
the elements of this personal power. In-
fluence, with many men, is owing to the
predominence of some one commanding
faculty ; but with Dr. Herron it arose from
an unusual combination of a multitude of
qualities :

Among these we notice : —

Firstly — His personal presence. This
alone would have given him influence,

No one ever stood in his presence without
feeling its power. There was something
in his appearance and mien, that disarmed
prejudice and commanded confidence. Few
men have ever been favored with a physical
organism so dignified and imposing. His
noble, manly frame was tall, muscular;
strongly developed, yet compactly knit,
and well adjusted in its proportions. His
voice was clear and strong, yet mingling a
tone of kindness with authority, so as both
to win and to command. His face was
well moulded with every manly lineament;
health glowing upon his rounded cheek ;
decision expressed in the wrinkles of his
compressed lips ; sagacity glancing from
his eye; command enthroned upon his
brow, and an expression of benevolence
overspreading his whole countenance. All
this was combined with a calmness and
gravity of deportment, a loftiness of spirit,

an earnestness and energy of manner, and,
in his old age, with a venerable Patriarchal
aspect, deepening as the frosts o^ winter
whitenedhis locks, and gathered like a crown
of glory upon his head. Before such a pres-
ence it was impossible to withhold the
homage of respect and admiration. The
little child would stop his play upon the
street, and gaze with timid wonder as he
passed. The stranger would cast a glance
of pleasure at such a noble specimen of a
man ; and all who knew him, instinctively,
conceded precedence to his person, weight
to his opinions, and authority to his plans
and appointments.

Secondly — -A second element of his per-
sonal influence was frankness, candor, and

MANIFEST honesty OF PURPOSE. This WaS

always so apparent, that even a stranger
could perceive, at first glance, that he was

in the presence of an open, ingenuous man.
There was nothing concealed or ambiguous,
either in the purpose at which he aimed, or
the mode in which he accomplished it.
His intercourse with men was so truthful,
and his recoil from the indirect and disin-
genuous, so strong, that his manner had
sometimes the appearance of bluntness ;
but it was so manifestly the bluntness of
open, guileless sincerity, that it inspired the
confidence and won the regard of all around
him.

To this he added : —

Thirdly — Great decision of character.
The force and vigor of his will was one of
the chief elements of his power. This is
the secret of effectiveness in every depart-
ment of life. No man ever rose to great-
ness, or achieved victories either for God or
12

man, that was not distinguished by a will
that ignores impossibilities. Invincible de-
termination levels the mountains, and
bridges the chasms in the pathway of suc-
cess. Such a will was his — as strong and
persistent in contending with difficulties and
executing his purjooses, as it was quick and
sagacious in choosing the right object, and
in determining the best plan. It was
this that made him a leader. Weaker
men drew toward him, and clung around
him as the ivv around the oak. His de-
cision, however was not willfulness ; nor
his persistence stubbornness. Dogmatism
and obstinacy are the characteristics of an
unbalanced and inharmonious moral and
mental constitution. In his character,
however, there was a beautiful counterpoise.
His will was modified, and held in subordi-
nation, by another characteristic, which we
mention as the : —

Fourth element of his personal influ-
ence— GOODNESS OF HEART, KINDNESS OF
FEELING — A TENDER AND SYMPATHETIC REGARD

FOR OTHERS. He was a fine impersonation
of Banyan's character Great Heart. He
was not only a man of feeling, but of warm,
noble, generous feelings. He had a big
heart, and it was full of tender sensibilities,
high impulses, and warm affections. Nor
did these feelings lie so deep, as to be only
occasionally stirred. His heart was not a
well, requiring line and bucket to reach its
bottom, but a fountain always full and ever
flowing. His heart was as open as his hand,
and the first impression he made, was that
of a warm, cordial, sympathetic man. —
Hence, his almost boundless hospitality, for
his house was the home of every stranger ;
his liberal charities — liberal almost to a
proverb ; and his generous donations to the
Boards and Benevolent organizations of the

Church — for you all know, that whilst
there was a penny in his purse it was never
closed. It was this that gave symmetry to
his character. He had too much benevo-
lence to be willful, and too tender a regard
for the feelings and sentiments of others, to
be obstinate or intolerant in the enforce-
ment of his own. In this very thing, how-
ever, lay the secret of his success. His de-
cision, softened by kindness, melted down
the barriers of opposition, and opened up
doors which would have been bolted and
barred against the progress of a mere iron
will. In this way his kindness gave ef-
ficiency to his decision. The warmth of the
sun does not abate, but increase its power.
Its heat, according to the fable, succeeded in
displacing the cloak of the traveler, when
all the force and bluster of Boreas could
not wrench it from him.

Fifthly — Another natural characteristic,
which contributed largely to his personal
influence, was, a faculty for the' practi-
cal AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS OP PaSTORAL

AND Ecclesiastical duty. He had an inti-
mate acquaintance with the human heart ;
an accurate knowledge of the way in which
men think and feel ; a clear perception of
the principles by which conduct is actuated,
and a practical acquaintance with the
modes and expedients, by which the pro-
jects and enterprises of life are accom-
plished. With this, he combined a quick
perception of the nature and relations of
things. We have often been struck with
his ready comprehension of a plan or pro-
ject before the explanation was half given.
No sooner was the first step indicated, than
his mind seemed intuitively to compass and
understand the whole. To this ready per-
spicacity, he added a great fertility in the

invention of instrumentalities and expedi-
ents; and an unusual readiness and energy
in effecting, by his own personal efi!*ort, and
in employing others to effect, the purposes
which he had formed. In nothing, perhaps,
was he more remarkable than in the pecu-
liar faculty which he had in enlisting the
co-operation of others, and in directing the
peculiar gifts and attainments of every one
around him to some useful purpose. In
this, he has often reminded us of the Gen-
eral of an Army, who knew the points of
all his men, and how to use each in the
very service to which he was specially
adapted. It was this, as we shall after-
ward show, that made him so invaluable
in public assemblies, in ecclesiastical courts,
and in the Boards and J3enevolent organi-
zations of the Church. It was this, also,
(as we have already seen in the events of
his life,) that gave such administrative

success to his ministerial life. It was this
made him always the very man for an exi-
gency. If the Church was under the
Sheriff's levj^, he knew how to extricate it ;
if a new enterprise was to be started, he
knew the right spring to touch, and how to
direct the impulse ; if a difficulty occurred
among his members, he knew how to curb
the refractory, to settle the excitable, to
conciliate the hostile, and to bring out of
discord the "peaceable fruits of righteous-
ness." His capacity to execute, enlisted co-
operation in his plans. Others joined him,
because he worked himself. They followed
him, with something of the feeling with
which a soldier follows a leader who never
was vanquished.

Such were some of the elements of that
peculiar personal influence so characteris-
tic of our departed Father — an influence

which it is hard to describe to a stranger,
but which all who knew him have felt, and
will remember as among the most vivid
impressions of their lives. It arose from a
sanctified use of that unusual combination
of natural traits, which we have attempted
to describe. His personal presence, com-
manding respect ; his genuine honesty, in-
spiring confidence; his strong decision, con-
straining acquiescence; his goodness of
heart, winning the affections ; and his prac-
tical efficiency, enlisting co-operation and
insuring success.

We now turn from the Man, to view : —

Secondly — The Christian.

Few men ever enjoyed such oppor-
tunities for the development of a strong,
disciplined, ripened christian character.

Converted iu his early youth ; trained un-
der a benign Presbyterian home influ-
ence; and instructed in spiritual religion by
a truly Apostolic Pastor, his piety took a
deep root, and became a vital element of
his being. It liad the advantage of a liv-
ing lodgment in his soul, and an incorpora-
tion with his nature, before sin had de-
veloped its power, or wound the coils of its
fatal facination around him.

With this early start, his piety had all the
advantages of growth and development.
The work of the holy ministry before him,
was a constant incentive to higher attain-
ments in spiritual experience. Having
entered upon his sacred functions, he re-
ceived (as you have seen in the narrative of
his life,) a new baptism, amid scenes of
powerful revival. The immediate success
attendant upon his settlement, awakened

an ardent zeal for the salvation of souls.
The many revivals through which he after-
ward passed, furnished new and augmented
impulses in his upward course ; whilst his
protracted life, with the discipline of trials
and bereavement, strengthened and mel-
lowed the experience of his heart and the
fruitage of his graces, to a richness and
ripeness meet for the enjoyment of glory.

In reviewing his character, as a christian,
we meet with no eccentric development ;
nothing extravagant; nothing fitful; noth-
ing fluctuating ; nothing in undue propor-
tion. He was not distinguished by the pre-
eminence of any one particular characteris-
tic, but by the vigorous growth and uniform
development of the whole circle of chris-
tian graces. The beauty of his character
was its symmetry, the admirable adjustment
and equipoise of all its parts. In the

analysis, we are at a loss to select among
the multitude of his christian excellencies,
and which to place first in the enumeration.

Perhaps his —

First, and chief distinction, as a chris-
tian, was HIS LOVE FOR THE PERSON, AND HIS
DEVOTION TO THE GLORY OF JeSUS ChRIST.

Paul himself scarcely illustrated more fully
his own declaration : "For I have deter-
mined to know nothing among you, save
Jesus Christ, and him crucified." I speak
now to many who knew him during a min-
istry of forty years, and I know that I will
meet with a hearty indorsement in every
heart when I say, that, "for him to live was
Christ." The expression of his whole min-
istry and life was, "God forbid that I
should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ."

100

There were those who esteemed him
mad — pronomiced him an enthusiast ; but
he could say, "whether I be beside myself, it
is to God ; or whether I be sober, it is for
your cause; for the love of Christ con-
straineth me." Noble madness ! Would
that God would bestow something of this
same phrensy upon his ministry now, that
with the same burning zeal and glowing de-
votion they might "testify of the gospel of
the grace of God."

Next to his love for Jesus, we mention —

Secondly — His love for souls. Upon
that kindliness of nature, or goodness of
heart, which we noticed as a characteristic
of the man, the Spirit of God engrafted the
beautiful grace of christian charity, which
encompasses the whole world in tlie arms of
its benevolent regard — -ministering to the

101

bodies, but exercising its chief solicitude in
reference to the souls of men. The soul —
the unspeakable worth of the soul, was the
conviction that quickened him to act, and
gave intensity to his public and private ap-
peals. He had a thrilling realization of the
exposure of impenitent sinners to everlast-
ing misery, and this stirred up all the sym-
pathies of his heart, and nerved him to
vigorous efforts for their salvation. He
spared no labor, and left no instrumentality
untried, by which sinners might be roused
and rescued from their peril. Hence his
great interest in revivals of religion ; his
pungent, awakening appeals from the pul-
pit ; and his readiness to use every opportu-
nity, even the most casual, to address indi-
viduals upon the subject of personal salva-
tion. There are those here who well re-
member, how, when they were little boys,
he would take them by the hand upon the

102

street, or as he passed them in the market,
and inquire if they were seeking the one
thing needful. This concern for perishing
sinners extended to all classes. He had the
tenderest sympathy for the degraded and
outcast, and he spared no pains to seek and
save them. The beggar to whom he gave
alms upon the street, could not pass with-
out a sympathetic admonition ; and even
the robber, who attempted to plunder his
dwelling, had to stay for prayer. The in-
cident to which I refer, was such a strik-
ing illustration of his character that I can-
not leave it unrecorded.

Aroused one night from slumber by a
noise in his chamber, he inquired, "Who is
there?" A voice, imitating the tone of a
female, replied, "It's me, sir." Detecting
the imposture, he immediately sprang from
his bed, and as the robber was retreating

103

down the stairs, he seized him by the hair
and held him in his iron grasp. The rob-
ber, feeling that he had fomid his master ^
surrendered, and the Doctor led him down
the stairs into the kitchen, struck a light,
stirred the fire, and seated, the culprit by
his side to talk with him about his soul.
After a long conversation, in which the
robber expressed great penitence, and
promised to lead a new life, the Doctor
kneeled by his side, and prayed most ear-
nestly to God in his behalf. When they
arose from prayer, the Doctor was about to
dismiss him, with a supply of bread and
meat for his family, when it occurred to
inquire what time it was. Mrs. Herron
went to look at the watch ; but, behold, it
was gone ! The villain had stolen it, and,
notwithstanding all his professions of j)eni-
tence, was about to depart with the watch
in his pocket. The Doctor seized him again,

104

and made him siUTender the watch. The
fellow's penitence now became deeper than
ever, and the Doctor, in the kindness of his
heart, forgave him all, and sent him away
with such an abmidant supply of provisions
as to leave rather a scarcity for the next
morning's breakfiist.

I mention this incident because it illus-
trates, as forcibly as any circumstance of
his life, three of his most prominent char-
acteristics, in a striking combination. First,
his great personal courage and resolute ac-
tion, in seizing and grapphng with a burg-
lar in the dark : secondl}^, his lively concern
for the man's salvation. Whilst many per-
sons in such circumstances, would have been
tilled with resentment, and have thought
only how they could secure and punish the
culprit, his first thought was about the man's
soul, and how he could save him from the

105

perdition of the imgodlj. Combined with
these, you perceive a third trait, (whicli you
will all say was so like him,) that goodness
of hearty which could be imposed upon by the
man's expressions of penitencCj and, even
after the discovery of his hypocrisy, send
him away, with as much bread and meat
as he could carry.

Thirdly — Again, we observe that Dr. Her-
ron was eminently a man of faith. "He
lived" and "walked by faith."' He exem-
plified in his life the beautiful union of
faith and works. He worked, as if all de-
pended upon himself; and yet trusted, as if
all depended upon God. He was accus-
tomed to say, that "to work without be-
lieving was Atheism, and to believe with-
out working was presumption ; whilst both
combined, constituted genuine religion."

His realization of the special Providence of
14

106

God, in the allotments of life, and in the
minute details of daily incident, was so
distinct, that he committed not only the
great purposes of his ministr}'', but the
smallest solicitudes of his heart, to his
Heavenly Father, and trusted Him with the
beautiful simplicity of a little child.

This confidence in the Word of Grod was
unbounded. This gave rise to one of his
peculiarities. His conviction of the truth
of God's Word was so powerful, that he had
no patience with any form of unbelief
He could bear with the tenderest com-
passion the sins of the wayward and
prodigal ; his heart could melt in sympathy
(as we have seen,) with the robber, who
would plunder his dwelling; but he had no
kind of forbearance with an Infidel or Skep-
tic. He could not brook an insinuation of

107

unbelief. The truth to him was so mani-
fest, that doubt seemed, not weakness, but
wickedness, and therefore met with sover-
eign contempt. His heart, so full of kindly
sympathies, would seem instantly to freeze
in the presence of an unbeliever, and he
would pour upon him a storm of "hail
stones and coals of fire."

His faith was not only strong, but
vital. It not only received the doctrines,
but imparted the life of religion. It not
only trusted the Bible as true, but Christ as
The Truth. Hence, it became the substance,
(that which stands under,) the solid founda-
tion of all that he hoped for, and the "evi-
dence of things unseen."

Fourtldij — With a pure evangelical Faith,
Dr. Herron combined a liberal Catholic
Spirit. He had nothing; of that narrow ex-

108

clusiveness, which thinks that all truth and
goodness is shut up in the pale of his own
denomination, and excludes all others as
outside barbarians. He had a heart and a
hand that were alike open to all who
"name the name of Jesus." He felt a deep
interest in the prosperity of God's work,
no matter under what denominational ban-
ner it was carried forward. Hence, during
a ministry of fifty years in this City, he en-
joyed, to a remarkable degree, the confi-
dence and affection of his brethren of all
denominations. He was ever ready to as-
sist them in their own pulpits, and to receive
their assistance in return. In every project
for the general good he co-operated with
such kindness and cordiality, that christians
of every name delighted to work by his
side. Even in his old age he was always
ready to assist a brother in need. In these
acts of brotherly kindness he filled, occa-

109

sionally, nearly all the pulpits in the City.
The expression of his whole life was, "G-race,
mercy, and peace be upon all them who
love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and
truth."

FlftJihj. — Passing by many other traits of
his christian character, which we are sorry
for the want of time, to leave unnoticed, we
mention another characteristic, which we re-
gard as his pre-eminent distinction. If I
were to pass around through the members
of this congregation, the ministers of this
Synod, and the citizens of this community,
and inquire what was the chief distinguish-
ing trait in Dr. Herron's character — I have
not the least doubt, that they would all re-
ply, with one accord, Magnanimity! Magna-
nimity ! Il was a magnanimity too of the
highest and noblest character. It was not,
simply, that greatness of mind, or elevation

110

of soul which, occasionally, prompts to a bril-
liant act of self-oblivion for a great public
good, but that christian virtue which made
it the habit of his life to ignore self, to pro-
mote the best interests of others. Few
men have ever risen so high above every
thing that was little, selfish and contracted,
and devoted their energies with so broad
and expansive a generosity to noble and
benevolent objects. I believe I utter the
common sentiment, when I say that, "Dr.
Herron was never suspected of entertain-
ing a personal or selhsli object." Not a
single one of the great projects of his life
was connected with his own personal pre-
ferment. He devoted years of toil to es-
tablish our Theological Seminar}^, but it
was to place others in its positions of honor
and influence. He spent time, strength
and money in organizing and developing
the Boards and Benevolent institutions of

Ill

the Church, only to retire and leave others
to reap the rewards of their prosperity.
He encouraged the organization of new
Churches, by the depletion of his own. He
shared largely in every Presbyterial and
Synodical enterprise ; co-operated with his
brethren in every department of the minis-
terial work ; but no one ever discovered
in him any spark of jealousy, or any emo-
tion of envy, on account of the gifts or at-
tainments of others. He was always ready
to work himself, or to lead the van; but
was glad to have others who could do the
work as well, or better than himself. This
was the testimony of all his brethren in the
Presbytery of Ohio, when during its recent
sessions, his death was announced. It was
an occasion of deep feeling, and as one
after another arose to express their sor-
row, they spoke of his generosity of heart;
of his superiority to self, and his mag-

112
nanimous co-operation in every good work.

A personal allusion may here be par-
doned, when it is remembered that the re-
lation of the speaker to his departed Fath-
er was such, as enables him to bear a testi-
mony upon this point which no other can.

Retirement from official station is the
severest test to which human character is
ordinarily subjected. The history of the
Church shows, that the most trying point
in ministerial life, is when a pastor has to
retire on account of age or infirmity, and
see another occupying his place — filling
that pulpit which he had felt was sacredly
his own; enjoying the rewarck for which he
had spent his whole life, and engaging those
attentions and affections which had so long
been the joy of his own heart. This is a
sore trial ; and if there is a single spark of

ii;

unmortiaed selfishness left, it will then
kindle and blaze into a flame. To this try-
ing ordeal our departed Father was sub-
jected, but never for a single moment did
a spark of envy kindle in his heart, or a
feeling of jealousy cloud his noble spirit.
He received his successor with an open
heart, and cherished him as if he were his
own son. If he had success, he enjoyed it as
his own; if he had trials, his heart was as
sorrowful as if they had befallen himself.
Even the sensitiveness which old age usu-
ally has in reference to its opinions and
counsels, he never exhibited. His advice
was always cheerfully given ; but if an op-
posite course was adopted, instead of taking
offence, he would defend it to the utter-
most, and woe betide the man that dared,
in his presence, say aught against it.
Nothing was easier than to live in unity
with such a man ; and now that he is gone
15

it is my liaiDpiness to testify that, during
the ten years that I have occupied this post
as his successor, nothing has occurred to
mar for one single moment the harmony of
our fellowship. I never met a frown upon
his brow; never heard an unkind word from
his lips; never felt a single jar in our inter-
course; never was for a moment trammeled
or embarrassed in my personal or ministe-
rial action by anything that he said or did.
On the other hand, he was a Friend, who
stood by me in every extremity ; a Coun-
sellor, ever ready with the wisdom of age
and experience ; a Comforter, full of the
tenderest sympathy; a Defender, who would
stand forth and receive reproach himself,
rather than it should fall upon me.

Now, in all this, there was a magnanimity
that glorifies the grace of Grod. There was
such an elevation above all the littleness

115

of human nature, as makes us feel how
blessed is that religion which can develop
and mature such a character as this. I bow
profoundly to adore the grace of God in
such a beautiful exemplification, and I bless
His name that we are permitted to know
that religion does bring such heauty out of
the wreck of the Fall.

From the Christian, we now turn to
view —

Thirdly — The Minister.

His tongue is now silent. The voice,
which so long uttered in your ears the mes-
sages of God, is hushed in death ; but it
will afford a melancholy pleasure to recall
him, in imagination, as he stood here in
his prime and vigor, and pass in review be-
fore our minds the striking features of his

IIG

public address, and the characteristics and
elements of his pulpit power.

In the Preacher we perceive at once, the
combination of the man and the christian..
His elements of power as a man, combined
most strikingly with his graces as a chris-
tian, to form those peculiar qualities by
which his ^Dulpit ministrations were so
strongly marked. For example, his natu-
ral decision of character and force of will,
uniting with his strong fliith in God's word,
gave him that tone of authority with which
he always spoke — impressing upon every
hearer the conviction that he spoke what
he knew, and testified of what he had deep-
ly experienced. In the same manner, you
can each trace for yourself a similar union
in all the characteristics which we shall
now specify :

First — He was pre-eminently an Experi-
mental Preacher. If he had any special
excellence, which distinguished him from
other preachers, it was this. It was his de-
light to preach the truth in its relation to
christian experience. Almost every ser-
mon, which it was our privilege to hear
from his lips, bore this as its marked char-
acteristic. In this way he evolved the ex-
perience of his own heart, and brought it
to bear with pungent and edifying power
upon his hearers. If his subject was a doc-
trine, he aimed to show how it should af-
fect the heart, and always described, with
most happy success, the way in which a true
christian felt, who appreciated and applied
that truth to his soul. In like manner, if
his text was a fact, he showed how a chris-
tian should feel if he realized its proper
impression. In this way he was always
in immediate contact with the hearts and

118

consciences of his people. In these de-
lineations of christian character and experi-
ence, he discovered a graphic power which
is rarely equalled. This was the more re-
markable, because his mind was not of a
poetical or imaginative cast. He never
thought of portraying a scene, or creating
an image, or indulging an emotional senti-
ment. But in this particular field of ex-
perimental portraiture, he had all the pow-
er and skill of a master artist. He would
delineate feelings so vividly, as to make a
hearer think that he had, somehow, seen
into his heart, and was now exposing him
before the whole congregation. On the
subject of repentance, he would describe
how a true penitent felt so graphically, and
then distinguish the true from every false
kind of repentance, as to leave no one
in doubt whether his was " a repentance
that needs not to be repented of" In the

119

same manner, he would describe the feel-
ings of an impenitent sinner, so as to startle
and alarm him at the sight of his own por-
trait. This pungent experimental applica-
tion of the truth, we believe, was his chief
distinction in the pulpit ; and in this his
strongest intellectuality, as well as his deep-
est experience, were discovered.

Secondly— Dociov Herron was, in the best
sense, a Doctrinal Preacher. He was
neither a jejune essayist, nor a met-
aphysical demonstrator of abstract prop-
ositions, nor a dreamy speculator about Di-
vine mysteries, nor a theological grinder —
crushing and pulverising truth between logi-
cal mill-stones, and then doling it out, grain
by grain, particle by particle, as if the Bread
of Heaven was scarce, and the minister re-
stricted to a slow and frugal distribution.
On the other hand, he exhibited doctrine

120

as a thing of life — a quickening, discrimin-
ating power — "piercing to the dividing
asunder of the soul and spirit — a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
In this sense, his sermons were full of doc-
trines— not of dead dogmas, but of living,
pungent principles ; "manifestations of truth,
commending themselves to every man's con-
science, in the sight of God." He seldom
thought it expedient to enter into a formal
argument, but when circumstances demand-
ed the vindication of a truth, he was able
to do it with force and power. This was
evinced in a number of sermons, which he
was constrained to preach in defence of some
of the points of Calvinistic Theology, and
especially, in a sermon upon Universalism,
which produced such an impression at the
time, and was regarded as so conclusive an
argument, that he was invited to repeat it
in many of the other pulpits of this city.

121

That sermon should be preserved in some
enduring form, and if it were not that, with
characteristic modesty, he requested that
none of his sermons should be published,
we would suggest the propriety of its pub-
lication by the Presbyterian Board, as one
of the standard tracts of our church.

Thirdlf/—Di\ Herron was an Awaken-
ing Preacher. He had an unusual
power of stirring slumbering christians
from their lethargy, and rousing im-
penitent sinners to an apprehension
of their danger. This made him highly
eftective in times of revival, at com-
munion seasons, and protracted meetings.
Those who remember his early ministry,
speak of his overwhelming appeals to the
unconverted ; his awful portraitures of the
terrors of God's law ; his peculiar fac-
ulty of showing the hollowness of a sin-
16

122

ner's excuses for the neglect of religion, and
of exposing the refuges of lies, to which so
many betake themselves. A sermon of
this character, on 1he text^ — " They all, with
one consent, began to make excuse," ar-
rested the attention of a young, thoughtless
lad, who is now one of the oldest and most
useful ministers in this Presbytery, and looks
back with deep emotion to the hour
when Dr. Herron was made the instrument,
in the hand of God, for his conversion. An
incident of his early life illustrates very
forcibly this characteristic of his ministry.
When on his way to Pittsburgh, in 1810,
he stopped in the neighborhood of Youngs-
town, where a number of ministers had
collected, and were liolding a large protract-
ed meeting. He was at that time tall and
thin, and very youthfid in his appearance.
Hearing that a strange clergyman had ar-
rived, some of the ministers waited upon

123

him, and invited him to preach. When he
appeared in the pulpit, a murmur of dissat-
isfaction went around the whole congrega-
tion : " Why have they asked that boy to
preach ?" was the general inquiry ; and even
the ministers felt somewhat uneasy, lest
" the hoy " might mar the interest of the oc-
casion. Soon, however, all fears were dis-
sipated ; " the boy " preached as if he had
been an angel — the power of God was with
him ; a new impulse was given to the meet-
ings, and such an impression made, that
" the boy's " sermon was long remembered,
and is talked of still, in that community.

Fourthly — 'The preaching of Dr. Herron
was also characterised by tenderness and
AFFECTION. His Warm, sympathetic hearty
combining with the grace of God which
filled him with love for perishing souls,
gave a peculiar tenderness, and emotional

124

fervor to his presentations of Christ, to
awakened sinners, or to anxious christians.
Christ was so fully "the beloved '' of his own
heart, that he had a burning desire to see
him formed in the hearts of others, as " the
hope of glory." Under the influence of a
sermon of this kind, it pleased God, in his
Providence, to place a young lady, who had
been educated in the principles of Unitari-
anism, and knew well how to use all its
weapons of defence. The text from which
the Doctor preached, was, John, 6 : 37 : —
" Him that cometh to me, I will in no
wise cast out." In a private letter, de-
scribing its impression upon her mind,
(which I may be pardoned for quoting,)
she says : — '• Had this discourse been
controversial, my feelings of antagonism
to evangelical doctrine would have been
aroused ; but the subject was Christ — his
ability and willingness to save sinners,

125

and his invitation to come to him. My
heart was drawn out in love to this gracious
Redeemer, and I mentally asked myself, 'can
a mere, peccable man dare to promise so
much?' The question was yet undecided,
though stirring the inmost depths of my
soul, when the conclusion of the last prayer
settled the point, once, and for life. It
was in these words :— ' Who is the Lord,
our righteousness, and our strength, and
over all, God blessed, forever more, amen.'
I had been led that same morning to open
Owens' work on the Trinity, and these two
texts were urged as proofs of the Divinity
of the Saviour ; and now, when they were
repeated in the sanctuary, it seemed to me
as if the Old and New Testament each bore
witness against the opinions I had so stren-
uously maintained." From that time she
embraced Christ as her Saviour ; in much
tribulation through family opposition, she

126

professed him before men, and still lives, to
attest, in a ha23py experience, and by a use-
ful life, " the unsearchable riches of his
grace."

Such were some of the more prominent
traits of Dr. Herron's ministry. To com-
plete our estimate of his character, we must
view him —

F 0 U R T H L Y — A S A PrESBYTER.

This was a sphere of influence and useful-
ness which he delighted to occupy; to which
his talents were eminently adapted ; and in
which he exerted some of the most salutary
influences of his life. His wisdom, discretion,
and knowledge of practical life made him a
safe and valuable counsellor, to whom his
brethren could look for guidance. His un-
selfish, magnanimous spirit, always gave as-

127

surance that he had no personal or covert
purposes to subserve. His kindness of heart
drew his brethren around him, with warm,
confiding afFecl-ion ; whilst his decision, en-
ergy and executive capacity enabled him to
undertake and carry forward the public en-
terprises of the Church with an admirable
efficiency. All this gave him such a hold
upon the confidence and affections of his
brethren, that his counsels always had great
weight, and his opinions oftentimes the
force of law. As a presiding officer, in a
deliberative or judicial body, he had few
equals. He officiated with such dignity,
precision, promptness, and authority, that it
was the delight of his brethren to honor him
with such appointments. Hence, he was very
frequently elected as the Moderator of the
Presbytery, and the Synod; and in the year
1827, was chosen Moderator of the General
Assembly, during its sessions at Philadelphia.

128

In his capacity as a Presbyter, he had
some traits deserving the imitation of every
minister. The grace with which he would
yield to the will of the majority— surrender
his own project, when it was voted down,
and adopt and carry out a plan which he
had opposed — was so strikingly beautiful,
that his brethren all observed and spoke
of it with admiration. Allied to this, was
the noble frankness with which he would
confess an error, or a fault; and the magna-
nimity with which he would beg the par-
don of one wliose feelings he had wounded.
His quick, impulsive temperament would
impel him sometimes to speak or act in
haste, and as a consequence, he would oc-
casionally commit an error ; or, in the heat
of debate, utter a severity ; but when he
saw his error, or discovered the wound he
had made, there was no man more ready to
amend the wrong, or to beg pardon for his

129

offence. All this combined to invest him
with the influence and controlling power
which he wielded for so many years, with
the happiest results, to the glory of God,
and the welfare of the Church.

Somewhat connected with this, was the
influence which he exerted in a still wider
sphere. He was also.

Fifthly— A Public Man,

Of the highest and best type. A man of
a large expansive public spirit— with a
heart to sympathize with, and a hand to
help, in every project for the advance-
ment of the best interests of the communi-
ty, state or nation. He had a deep con-
cern for the welfare of all classes of men.
In the earlier history of this city he took a
lively interest — in every mill and factory
17

130

that was erected — in every enterprise to
promote the convenience of the people, or
the adornment of the city — in the opening
of new avenues of trade, and in the secur-
ing of new business and commercial advan-
tages to the community. He was one of
the Fathers of this city ; and no man loved
it better, or did more to promote its higli-
est welfare.

He not only loved his city, but his
State and Nation. He had a pride — (did I
say pride ? — yes, verily, an honest ^j?'/c7e)
in being a Pennsylvanian. Born beneath
the shadow of her lofty mountains, and
reared amid the patriots of the Kevolution,
he cherished the idea that this is the pe-
culiar heritage of freedom ; and believed,
in his heart, that a race of men and women
has been born and reared in these hills,
and along these valleys, such as is not to

131

be found in any other spot upon the sur-
face of this wide world.

As he loved his State, so he also loved
his Nation. Patriotism was a part of his
religion ; and his heart was ever as true to
his country as it was to his God. He knew
the worth of our liberties, for he saw the
price with which they were purchased. He
felt (as I fear few now feel,) the sacredness
of that compact which bound these States
together, for he saw the blood by which
this Union was cemented. To the last mo-
ments of his life, he watched with a deep
and painful solicitude, the ominous cloud
that is gathering upon our horizon ; and,
among the last prayers that he uttered,
were supplications, " that God would pre-
serve this Union, and save his country from
reproach."

132

Such was the Man, the Christian, the
Minister, the Presbyter, the Patriot Cit-
izen, who has just departed from his earth-
ly, to his heavenly home.

A feeling of devout gratitude should fill
our hearts, that God has permitted us to
witness such an exemplification of his grace.
In the review of his whole life and char-
acter, there is nothing to regret ; no blem-
ish upon his name ; nothing upon which
you can place your finger and say, " I wish
it had been otherwise" — Nothing to vitiate
the sweet savor of his memory, or mar the
blessed influence which he has left behind.
He has gone without leaving a single enemy
upon the earth, or a tongue that would
utter aught but blessings upon his name.

We mourn his loss. That vacant cliair,
from which his gray head and venerable

133

form has so often spoken with silent el-
oquence to our hearts, renews our grief, as
from Sabbath to Sabbath, it reminds us that
he is gone.

But whilst we mourn his loss, let us imi-
tate the example, and apply the lessons of
his life. A voice seems to linger in this
Sanctuary, saying — " Remember the words
that I spake unto you while I was yet
with you." Ah, yes ; he has gone, but it is

"To sit down with the Prophets, by the clear
And crystal waters ; he has gone to list
Isaiah's harp, and David's, and to walk
With Enoch and Elijah, and the host
Of the just men made perfect." ■'• ••■"

And as years roll on, and his beloved
flock, one by one, go up to him, he will
meet them at the heavenly gate, and lead
them to the Lamb, saying—

^'i^crcam J, nub tl)ed)ilbrcn ^\]oxx Ijast giy^i me."

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

At a meeting of the Session of tue First Pres-
byterian Church, in the City of Pittsburgh, the
following Minute was adopted, and ordered to be entered
upon the Records :

Whilst, in the death of the Rev. Francis Herron,
D. D., the former Pastor of this Church, we recog-
nize the hand of our Heavenly Father, and how in
humble submission to his righteous will, we feel con-
strained to express our deep sorrow under the bereave-
ment which has deprived us of a venerated Teacher, at
whose feet we have so long received spiritual instruction;
of a Counsellor, whose discretion and experience has
given us such safe guidance ; of a Co-Laborer, whose
energy and efficiency in the work of God has so greatly
advanced the prosperity of this Church ; and of an Ex-
emplar, whose consistent walk, and beautiful illustration

136

of the Christian life, has directed aud stimulated us in
following Jesus.

Dr. Hereon was settled, as the Pastor of this
Church, in June, 1811, and it pleased Grod, in his great
kindness, to continue this relation until Dec. 1850,
when, on account of declining age, he felt it expedient
to request that the relation should be dissolved

The long Pastorate of forty years, during which he
served this Congregation, was a period of healthful and
encouraging progress. As we now look back upon the
trials he endured, the difficulties he surmounted, the
instrumentalities for good which he put into operation,
the controlling influence which he exerted in this whole
community, and the moral and spiritual reformation
which he effected in this Church, we feel constrained to
testify to his great efficiency as a Minister, and thank-
fully to recognize the Divine blessing which has crowned
his labors.

In every department of his work we have found him
an able, diligent, and successful Minister of the New
Testament. In the Pulpit he was happy in the expo-
sition of the truth ; strong in its defence, and pungent

aud skillful in its ajiplicatiou to cliristian experience. —
He was also eloquent and powerful in his appeals to the
impenitent, and tender and affectionate in his presenta-
tions of Christ to the awakened and anxious. In the
Pastoral work, he combined a dignity of manner with
a kindness and sympathy that commanded the highest
respect, whilst it won the confidence and affection of the
people. As the Moderator of this Session, he was al-
ways held in the highest estimation. We confided in
his wisdom; revered his character; trusted his practical
judgment, and loved him for the generosity of his spirit,
and the kindness and urbanity of his manners.

In view of all that God has wrought by his instru-
mentality in our midst ; of all the good which we have
received from his fellowship; and of all that endears
his memory to our hearts, be it

Resolved, 1st, That we record our deep gratitude to
God for the gift of a Pastor so useful and beloved, and
for the kind Providence which continued him with us
for so many years, and gave us the privilege of witness-
ing the beauty of religion in an old age so bright with
christian cheerfulness, and so rich in the fruitage of

grace.

138

Resolved, 2cl, That we will clierisli the memory of
his fellowship as among the most blessed privileges of
our lives ; and feel stimulated by the example which he
has left us to labor more diligently, and to follow on with
faith and patience until we "inherit the promises."

Resolved, od, That a copy of this minute be sent to
the family of the deceased, as the expression of our
deep sympathy ; and with the assurance of our common
grief in the bereavement which they have sustained,
and of our earnest prayer that their Father's God will
confirm to them, and to their children, the blessings of
his well ordered Covenant.

liesdvcd, 4th, That we unite with the Board of Trus-
tees of this Church in requesting our Pastor to preach
a Sermon on the Life and Character of Dr. Herron, and
furnish the same for publication.

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

BOARD OF DIRKCTORS

OF THE

At a late meeting of the Board of Directors of the
Westekn Theological Seminary, the following Minute
was adopted and put on their records, relating lo that
Venerated Father who presided over the Eoard from its
first organization till the day of his death :

' ' It is with mournful interest this Board enters upon
its records their last Minute i elating to the Kev,
Francis Herron, D. D., who fell asleep in Jesus, and
entered his rest on the Gth day of December, 1860. He
presided over the Board of Directors of the Western
Theological Seminary from its inception, and continued
to occupy that office with universal acceptance, and em-
inent usefulness and efficiency, till the day of his death.

140

His gentleness, urbanity, and piety, always gave him a
controlling influence over his brethren. His prayers,
example, counsels, and abundant labors, were of the
highest value to the Institution he loved so well, and
over which he presided through the long years of its
trials and perilous vicissitudes. His eminent fidelity
and usefulness, as the chief officer of this Board, we
who remain desire here to attest and record. In its
darkest day, when sanguine and liberal friends were
ready to despair — when insuperable obstacles seemed to
arise on every hand, and imperil the very existence of the
Seminary, his faith failed not. Ho seemed to hope
against hope. He was ever ready by renewed personal
exertion, self-denial and sacrifice, to add effort to effort,
and prayer to prayer, to save this School of the Pro-
phets. So effectually had he identified himself with this
Institution, and incorporated it in his heart, that, at
home and abroad, its advancement was a prominent
theme of his thoughts, his prayers and conversation.
When mingling with rich men of all classes, authors
and literary circles, he sought to turn the high regard
he always commanded for himself, to the advantage of
the Seminary. The very last appeal he made on earth
was on behalf of the Seminary, and rendered effective by
these significant and solemn words: 'It is my dying

141

request.^ He lived to see tlie Seminary rise from noth-
ing, through a succession of severe struggles perhaps
unparalleled in the history of any similar institution, to
a measure of success and prosperity not exceeded by any
Seminary in the land. He saw it transcend even his
highest expectations.

"In green old age, exceeding four score years, full
of peace and a joyful hope of immortality, almost impa-
tient for his last summons, ' he came to his grave in a
full old age, like a shock of corn cometh in his season.'

' 'Long will this Board most affectionately cherish the
memory of this beloved and venerated man. Long will
his fidelity and zeal in his offices, as President of this
Board, and as a Director of this Institution, stand for an
example and incentive to all who may succeed him in
these important trusts."

H. Gr. COMINGO,

W. D. Howard,
Francis Gr. Bailey,

Committee.

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Full text of "Two discourses upon the life and character of the Rev. Francis Herron, D. D."

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